Dermatome holder



Oct. 11, 1949. J. D. REESE DERMATOME HOLDER Filed Nov. 2, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. .Torhd D ZEESE Oct, 11, 1949. J. D. REr-:sE 2,484,749

DERMATOME HOLDER Filed Nov. 2, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Imm D. ZEESE Patented Oct. 11, 1949 N [TED STAT ES iiT-E NT OF F .DERMATOME HOLDER John'DfReese, Philadelphia, Pa. ApplicationNovember 2, 1945, Serial No. 626,279

' 4r Claims. .l

This invention :relates to surgical instruments, morefparticularly to dermatomes, and has .for an object to provide yan .improved device for supportingia. dermatome while rthe latterv is being preparedfor use.

Another object of the invention is to provide la dermatomesupport wherein the supporting structure isl disposed entirely at one side of the dermatome, during use, whereby access-to .the other side ofthe idermatome is unobstructed.

Whena graft-transfer stripis being applied to a` drum-type .der-matome, in the mann-er disclosed in applicants icopendingwapplication `Serial No. 618,523, filed September 25, 1945, :and now Patent Number-2,442,434, -it is-desirable that the semicylindrical drum be vso .suppontedthat the grafttransfer strip may be applied thereto without the necessity of inserting ythe strip between opposed supporting.. members at opposite sides of the dermatome. :.iilso,l it yis .necessary that both of the operatorls hands befree .for use in securing thev graft-transfer. strip to the dermaitome and that the dermatome shall .befsecurely supported in the desiredlposition. Therefore, la further object of the invention .isto providea .dermat-ome support which will effect these results.

lThese and vother objects are effected by the invention as will ber apparent from the .following description vand .claims taken in accordance with fthe.A accompanying .dra-wings, forming ya part of L;

this .application,in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective ViewI of a support embodyingathe principles ofthe present invention;

Fig.v 2 is` a-iront .elevational View of the structure shown in Eig. .1, with .a broken line showing of a -dermatomesupported thereon in position for attachment of a. graft-transfer strip thereto;

Fig..3 yis an elevational .view of .the right side of the structure as shown in Fig. 2;

. Fig. Llis a view .similartothat shown in Fig. 3, except that. .the dermatome, .shown in broken lines, is .disposed in rposition for coating of the convex. surfacethereof with a cement;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken along theline VV---V of Fig. l, lookingin the ldirection'indicated by the arrows;

vFig. 6 'is yan enlarged fragmentary sectional View, rtaken along the line VI-VI Iof Fig. 1, looking inthe direct-ion indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged `fragmentary sectional view, taken along .the line VII-VII vof Fig. 1, looking inv the direction indicated'by the arrows; and

Fig. 8 is yans-enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken along the line VIII-VIII `of Fig. l, looking' in the direction indicatedby the arrows.

Referringnow to the drawings more in detail, the .reference character "I0 indicates, in its .entirety,.a dermatome support comprising@ rectangular base I I, of siiicient mass to prevent up- (Cl. 12S-305) setting yof the apparatus during .use,.:and a standard -I 2 extending upwardly` therefrom and secured thereto by la pair of Hat-headed screws I3. `.Pref erably, the standard I2 is in the :form .of aflat metallic strip, .and to brace it in the direction of its lesser cross-sectional dimension, astrut .I4 has its upper end secured .to the upper .part of the standard I 2 by fa pair vofscrew-s "|51and.is.inl clined downwardly and .away-from thestandard to its lower `end which is secured tothe base II by screws I 6.

Preferably, the standard I2 and its ,bracing strut I4 are secured tothe base VII nearlone .corner of the latter. Integral withthe standardis an arm -i'l which projects vforwardly.therefrom and carries rat its outer end a spnd1e.l:8, preferably of circular cross section, which prfojectsilaiterally and horizontally from one .side ofthe. arm towards the more distantside of. fthe ibase ,'(Fig. 2), fand substantially midway between ltheifront and rear edges of the base .(Fig. 4). `The-,free end of this spindle I8 is preferably rounded, .or strea-mlined, las at I9, in vorder that. the. semicylindrical body member .I0 Iof a dermatome .|00

.i may be easily slipped ontothe spindle .(Figs. 2, 3

and 4) The spindle is circular in cross .-secti0n,.fand.of -a diameter to slide freelyin fa .pair ofialigned openings provided in the Iopposed .sidewalls '|02 and I 03 of the dermatomebodymember IUI-'near their semi-cylindrical edges .and substantially midway of the lengths thereof. The spindleis provided, near its inner end,l with aflange-.ZI `adapted to abut .the side of the arm I1 when .the stud terminal portion .22 is peened or rivetedin the arms opening 23 (Fig. 7). The ange v2I serves as a spacer to limit inward ,movement of the dermatome on the spindle,towlard the'standard I2.

In normal use of a dermatome of the type which the apparatus of the present invention is intended to support, and which is fully described, bothfas to structure fand use, in applicants copending application, previously identified, itfmay be .desirable to support the dermatome .in either of -itwo positions, the first of these positions being ill-ustnated in Figs. 2 and 3,--by the broken.flines,. and the second being illustratedA in Fig. 4, vlikewise @by broken lines.

In the first position (Figs. 2 and member IOI of the dermatome |00 is disposed with its concave-convex wall .|04 downward, .so that the operator may have ready and unobstructed access to the mechanism, disposed within the body member IOI adjacent the endsof the semi-cylindricalwall |04, by whichthe terminal portions of the-graft-transfer stripare secured to the body member with the'intermediatefportion ofsaid graft-transferstrip tautfagainst'fthe 3) the. .body

outer convex surface of the concave-convex wall |04.

The dermatome body member IDI is prevented from rotating out of this position by a pin 25 (Fig. 5)-. projectingl from the inner side of the standard I2, in parallel relation to the spindle I8. As the dermatome nears its innermost position on the spindle I8 when being assembled, the pin 25 enters a mating opening |06 provided in the side wall |03 of the dermatome, thereby holding the body member IBI against rotation on the spindle I8. Preferably, the pin-25 has a flange 26 abutting the inner side of the standard I2 and functioning in the manner of the flange 2l on the spindle I8, to limit inward movement of thedermat'ome on the pin 25.

Tol-prevent accidental outward movement of the'd'ermatome on'the spindle I8, in a direction awayfrom the standardv I2, with consequent disengagement of the pin 25 from its mating opening IEJE in the dermatome side wall. a latch 28 is'pivotally mounted in the opening 29 of the standard I2 by a pin 30 (Fig. 8). This latch 2B has a head portion 3l provided with a down- Wardly-openingv notch 32 adapted to latch over the adjacent upper edge |01 of the dermatome side wall |03 (Figs. 2 and 3) A spring 33 presses against the top of the latch at one side of the pivot'pin'30 to normally urge the latch head 3l down into latching position. Preferably, the ou-ter lower corner of the latch head is tapered or beveled, as atB, so that the latch will be lifted by'contact of the edge of the dermatome side Wall therewith as the dermatome is slid onto the spindle I8. The latch is provided with a handle portion 35, by which the latch may be easily disengaged'fr'om the dermatome when it is desired to remove the latter from the support.

, It is desirable that while a graft-transfer strip is being applied to the dermatome body member IOI, the knife IBB and its supporting structure, including the posts IUS, be disposed above the body member where they will not interfere with the operation of securing the graft-transfer strip about the convex surface of the body member. To this end, an arm rest 3'! is xedly secured to the upper end of the standard I2 in position to engage one of lthe dermatome posts |09 and thereby support the entire quadrangle formed by theposts IIll, the shaft III! on which they are mounted, and the blade III and its carrying structure I-I2 (Figs. 2 and 3).

(It will be apparent from consideration of Figs. 2 and 3 that with the blade I Ii and its supporting structure supported on the rest 31, in the manner illustrated, a graft-transfer strip can be secured to'one end of the dermatome body member and then freely drawn around the convex surface I5'=without any interference, particularly as the spindle I8 is supported at oneend only, thereby leaving the opposite side of the deratome free and readily accessible.

In the 'second of the two positions in which the dermatome may be supported by the structure of the present invention (Fig. 4), the body member convex surface is positioned upwardly and the posts and blade hang down therefrom. In this position, the convex surface I05 is readily accessible for the coating thereof with a suitable cement or adhesive, as is common practice in the use of instruments of the type illustrated.

To prevent'swinging of the body member on the spindle I8, a -pin 4B is mounted on the inner face of the standard I2 for reception in a mating 4 opening H5 existing in the dermatome structure (Figs. 3 and 4).

While the invention has been shown in one form, it will .be obvious to those skilledfin the art that it is. not so limited but' is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1.- In a dermatome supporting structure, a base adapted to rest on a horizontal surface, a standard carried by said base, a horizontal spindle carried by said 4standard and adapted to support a dermatome thereon rfor pivotal movement thereabout, and means ,carried by said standard for retaining in a predetermined position a dermatome supported on said spindle.

2. In a dermatome support, a base adapted to rest on a horizontal surface; a standard car'- ried by said base; a horizontal spindle supported at one end only from said standard, said spindle being adapted to support a dermatome slid thereonto from the other end thereof; a pin projecting horizontally from the standard and receivable in a mating opening in said dermatome for holding said dermatome against rotation on the spindle, anda latch adapted to prevent accidental withdrawal of the dermatome from the spindle when the dermatome vis, held against rotation by said pin. V

3. In a dermatome holder, a-rectangula'r base, a standard extending upwardlyfrom said base near one corner thereof,'an arm extending horizontally from said standard ina plane parallel to one edge of said base, and a dermatome-sup porting spindle extending horizontally from said arm at right angles to'said one edge of the base and approximately equidistant lfrom the two edges of the base which are adjacent said one edge of the base, and means for retaining a der matome in supported position on the horizontal spindle.

4. A holder for a dermatome of the 'type comprising a body member having a convex surface, a pair of parallel posts at opposite sides of the body membenblade-supporting mechanism car-` ried by the posts at one end thereof and bridging the space therebetween, and means supporting the posts at their other ends from the body member for movement of the blade-supporting mechanism parallel to, and at a predetermined dis- -tance from, the body member convex surface;` said holding comprising a base, a standardpextending upwardly from said base, a horizontal spindle carried by said standard and adapted to extend through aligned openings in the side walls of the dermatome body member when supporting thev latter,` and a rest carried by said ystandard against which the structure comprised by the blade-mounting mechanism and the posts may rest in a position yabove the dermatome body member and away from the body member convex surface.

JOHN D.v REESE.

REFERENCES CITED' The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNIFIED STATES PATENTS! 

